Northshield Rings facts for kids
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Ramparts of the fort
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 Location in Scottish Borders
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| Location | Near Eddleston, Scotland |
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| Coordinates | 55°43′54″N 3°11′4″W / 55.73167°N 3.18444°W |
| Type | Hillfort |
| Area | 0.35 hectares (0.86 acres) |
| History | |
| Periods | Iron Age |
| Reference no. | SM731 |
Northshield Rings is a very old place from the Iron Age. It's a type of ancient settlement called a hillfort. You can find it near the village of Eddleston, about 6 miles (10 km) north of Peebles, in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. Today, it is a protected historical site known as a Scheduled Monument.
Contents
What is Northshield Rings?
Northshield Rings is a hillfort built on a rounded hill. It's not far from a place called Portmore Loch. A hillfort was like a fortified village or town from long ago. People built strong walls and ditches around their homes to protect themselves.
Exploring the Fort's Defenses
The defenses at Northshield Rings are still very clear to see. There's an inner wall, called a rampart. This inner rampart creates an enclosed space that is about 73 metres (240 ft) long and 64 metres (210 ft) wide. This area covers about 0.35 hectares (0.86 acres), which is roughly the size of half a football field.
Outside this inner wall, there are two more ramparts. These outer walls made the fort even stronger. The people who lived here could enter or leave through three main gates. These entrances were located on the north-west, south, and south-east sides of the fort.
How Strong Were the Walls?
The inner rampart rises about 0.5 metres (1 ft 8 in) above the ground inside the fort. On the outside, it stands about 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above a ditch. The outer ramparts are much bigger and stronger. They have deep ditches dug outside them. These ditches and walls together could be up to 20 metres (66 ft) deep, making it very hard for enemies to attack.
Historians believe the fort was built in at least two main stages. It looks like the outer walls might have been built first. This is because there's a wide space, up to 8 metres (26 ft), between the inner and outer defenses. If they had built outwards to strengthen the fort, this space wouldn't be there.
Life Inside the Fort
Inside the main enclosed area of Northshield Rings, archaeologists have found seven slight dips in the ground. These dips are about 6–9 metres (20–30 ft) across. Experts think these were the spots where timber round-houses once stood. These would have been the homes where families lived during the Iron Age.
